User Tutorial:BCI2000Remote
Description
BCI2000Remote is a proxy interface class to the BCI2000 Operator module, and allows to start up, configure, and control BCI2000 from other applications. Internally, it maintains a telnet connection to the Operator module, and sends Operator Scripting commands to control it. However, no knowledge of these scripting commands is required in order to use the BCI2000Remote class from your own application.
BCI2000Remote is most useful when writing applications in C++, or in another language for which bindings to the BCI2000RemoteLib library exist, such as Python, or MATLAB.
Note
BCI2000Remote is a means of interfacing with the BCI2000 Operator module meaning that there are potentially hundreds of ways we leverage this tool to have a meaningful interface with BCI2000. Because of this we will illustrate a few different integrations using different languages. This "How-to" will be separated into three separate sections: Python, C++, and Matlab.
Python Tutorial
- Find your Python folder. If you have an existing Python environment with your code find it using the Sys Library like this:
import sys locate_python = sys.exec_prefix print(locate_python)
- Locate your BCI2000Remote.py file which should have compiled into your prog folder.
-
Find where in your Python code you wish to integrate BCI2000. In this example I will show the minimum requirements for integration with BCI2000:
import sys sys.path.append('C:\\BCI2000\\prog') import BCI2000Remote bci = BCI2000Remote.BCI2000Remote() //print('Operator path:', bci.OperatorPath) bci.WindowVisible = True bci.WindowTitle = 'Python controlled' bci.SubjectID = 'pysub' bci.Connect() bci.Execute('cd ${BCI2000LAUNCHDIR}') bci.Execute('ADD STATE score 16 0') bci.StartupModules(('SignalGenerator', 'DummySignalprocessing', 'DummyApplication')) bci.Execute('Wait for Connected') bci.SetConfig()Here is how you import BCI2000Remote:
-
- Here is how you instantiate the operator object:
-
- Here is how to customize the operator and connect to it:
-
- Here is how you add your states:
-
- How to specify your signal source, signal processing, and application modules:
-
How to connect and issue commands to BCI2000:
-
- And finally, how to tell BCI2000 to set states to a value during runtime:
-
- Now that you've added those components to your code all you have to do is run your code. You should see the BCI2000 operator along with the system log, source watcher, and the timing window. File:BCIRemote 7.jpg
C++ Tutorial
- Find your BCI2000RemoteLib dynamic library in your prog folder
- Add your Operator executable to the same directory as the program you intend to integrate
-
Make sure that you include all of your dependencies including BCI2000Remote.h
#include "BCI2000Remote.h" #include <string> #include <vector> #include <iostream>
-
Next, instantiate the BCI2000Remote object
int main( int argc, char* argv[] ) { // Instantiate a BCI2000Remote object BCI2000Remote bci; // Assume that Operator executable resides in the same directory as this program. std::string path = ( argc > 0 ) ? argv[0] : ""; size_t pos = path.find_last_of( "\\/" ); path = ( pos != std::string::npos ) ? path.substr( 0, pos + 1 ) : ""; // Start the Operator module, and connect bci.OperatorPath( path + "Operator" ); if( !bci.Connect() ) { std::cerr << bci.Result(); return -1; } -
Specify your startup modules and any flags you wish to start them with
// Startup modules const char* modules[] = { "SignalGenerator --LogMouse=1", "ARSignalProcessing", "CursorTask" }; std::vector<std::string> vModules( &modules[0], &modules[0] + sizeof( modules ) / sizeof( *modules ) ); if( !bci.StartupModules( vModules ) ) { std::cerr << bci.Result(); return -1; } -
Load any parameter files and set subject information
bci.LoadParametersRemote( "../parms/examples/CursorTask_SignalGenerator.prm" ); bci.SubjectID( "SUB" ); // Start a run if( !bci.Start() ) { std::cerr << bci.Result(); return -1; } -
And here we just have BCI2000 send us back a feedback signal:
std::string state; while( bci.GetSystemState( state ) && state == "Running" ) { double value = 0; bci.GetControlSignal( 1, 1, value ); std::cout << "Control signal: " << value << ", press Enter to proceed" << std::flush; std::string line; std::getline( std::cin, line ); } return 0; } - Now that you've added those components to your code all you have to do is compile and run it. You should see the BCI2000 operator along with the system log, source watcher, and the timing window. File:BCIRemote 7.jpg
#include "BCI2000Remote.h"
#include <string>
#include <vector>
#include <iostream>
int main( int argc, char* argv[] )
{
// Instantiate a BCI2000Remote object
BCI2000Remote bci;
// Assume that Operator executable resides in the same directory as this program.
std::string path = ( argc > 0 ) ? argv[0] : "";
size_t pos = path.find_last_of( "\\/" );
path = ( pos != std::string::npos ) ? path.substr( 0, pos + 1 ) : "";
// Start the Operator module, and connect
bci.OperatorPath( path + "Operator" );
if( !bci.Connect() )
{
std::cerr << bci.Result();
return -1;
}
// Startup modules
const char* modules[] = { "SignalGenerator --LogMouse=1", "ARSignalProcessing", "CursorTask" };
std::vector<std::string> vModules( &modules[0], &modules[0] + sizeof( modules ) / sizeof( *modules ) );
if( !bci.StartupModules( vModules ) )
{
std::cerr << bci.Result();
return -1;
}
// Load a parameter file, and set subject information
bci.LoadParametersRemote( "../parms/examples/CursorTask_SignalGenerator.prm" );
bci.SubjectID( "SUB" );
// Start a run
if( !bci.Start() )
{
std::cerr << bci.Result();
return -1;
}
// Print feedback signal
std::string state;
while( bci.GetSystemState( state ) && state == "Running" )
{
double value = 0;
bci.GetControlSignal( 1, 1, value );
std::cout << "Control signal: " << value << ", press Enter to proceed" << std::flush;
std::string line;
std::getline( std::cin, line );
}
return 0;
}
Video
PLACEHOLDER
Also see the PsychoPy page for more details on the installation process, APIs, and hooks.